1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to motor vehicles, and in particular the present invention relates to an intake manifold for motor vehicles.
2. Description of Related Art
Modern internal combustion engines manage and recirculate crank case gases in an effort to control environmental pollution. Older internal combustion engines designed before adverse effects to the environment were seriously considered, used a tube to simply dump crank case gases into the atmosphere. This resulted in excessive environmental pollution, and systems designed to manage and control crank case gases were introduced. Current internal combustion engine designs use a PCV (Positive Crank Case Ventilation) system to control and manage the release of crank case gases. The PCV system uses a line disposed between the crank case and an intake manifold.
A PCV valve controls the release of crank case gases and vapors from the crank case into the intake manifold. This is done to preserve the air-fuel ratio and other conditions of the combustion gases in the intake manifold.
While known PCV systems have been effective in reducing environmental pollution, current PCV systems still suffer from a number of drawbacks. One major problem is moisture. Crank case gases and vapors can include moisture. Moisture is generally not a problem when diffused throughout the crank case gases and the intake manifold. However, when condensation occurs or when moisture levels increase, this can adversely affect engine performance. One particular problem is when condensation occurs and the moisture accumulates into droplets. These droplets can be ingested by a combustion chamber of a cylinder and severely impair combustion. Another problem occurs when the droplets freeze due to low temperature. When a frozen droplet is ingested by a cylinder, very serious problems can occur during the combustion process. Related PCV systems have not effectively addressed the problem of moisture and condensation.